The days of riding to the office looking like an X-Man for the sake of safety may finally be over. The District Blazer from the Belstaff 2009 Pure Rider Blue Label not only offers protection with CE approved built-in armor for shoulders, back, elbows and forearms, the entire shell is made from teflon-coated Dynatec fabric and treated with the new ColdBlack finish. Is it us, or did the wax-cotton Trialmaster just get reduced to quaint?
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According to Schoeller who invented and manufactures the Dynatec material, ColdBlack finishing employs some type of secret reflective technology that lets dark colors reflect sunlight the same way light colors do. This allows for the material to deflect as much as 80% of sunlight and the heat that accompanies it. Basically, it stays cooler longer and dissipates heat faster after moving out of the sun, regardless of the color of the fabric. The jacket is also waterproof with a Micro Dry membrane and comes with a blue quilted removable 3M thinsulate liner for cold weather riding.

One of our favorite features is the hidden zip behind the jacket's buttons, keeping the jacket in place if there's a crash. The beefy latch under the collar as well as the functioning lapel button are also nice. In fact our only major complaint for the $775 $675 Belstaff is that the pocket flaps weren't cut envelope-style to ensure against moisture, but we guess we can't have everything. Pricey? For what you get, we still think it's entirely worth it.

We've heard rumor of a Belstaff boutique dedicated to the new Pure Rider Blue Label opening in Manhattan, but for now the jacket is currently unavailable in the States. If the Boutique does happen, expect the price to inflate accordingly for what will surely be a trendy store location. Since Belstaff can't be bothered to show the jacket on any of their sites, we'll send you to somewhere you can buy it right now. Our friend Will is happy to ship.

Urban Rider

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